Something in Common

(Hachette Books Ireland 2013)

One of the inspirations for this book was my mother’s penfriend relationship with another Irish woman: they wrote to one another for years, and never met. I was intrigued by this notion – people communicating for a long time without ever coming face to face – and I decided to use it as the underlying theme in Something in Common. The main difference between this book and all the others is that it spans over 20 years, from 1975 to 1998. Bit of a challenge!

In brief: When Helen and Sarah encounter one another on a bridge in January 1975, the experience is traumatic and disturbing for both of them. Little do they realise that their lives are to connect again, and often, over the years ahead…